Sunday, January 23, 2011

Brooklyn was incredibly brave and didn't shed a tear- she was very proud of herself for this. Ellie made it very clear to the Claire's worker that she was not getting hers pierced, and was perfectly content with a set of stick-ons.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Brooklyn has officially finished 100 days of kindergarten! Wow...100 mornings of often resistant uniform dressing, 100 rushed breakfasts, 100 not-so-creative hairstyles, 100 times nagging to "brush your teeth- and hurry up please", 100 lunches packed, 100 hugs and kisses goodbye, 100 on-time school drop offs (okay, there were actually only 99, we had one tardy)...and only 2,000 or so more to go until graduation!

So for her 100th day of school, she completed a project displaying 100 items.
Here's what she did...

Sunday, January 16, 2011

I'm a big frequenter of the snack bar at Target. The popcorn combo (split in 2 bags please) allows me an average of 30 minutes of shopping peace when the girls are with me. And when I'm alone (thanks to my mom), a diet coke as I shop makes the Target experience that much sweeter- with a refill on the way out the door of course. Anyway, I usually just stick to the soda, but am verrrrrrrrrrrrrrry tempted by the enormous cookies in the display case each time. I have to admit, I've indulged twice (it was the Christmas shopping stress I tell you) in the most amazing cookie possibly of all time. And for a cookie lover like myself, that says a lot. Its called a monster cookie (probably because of its monstrous size/calorie count). I actually found the Archer Farms frozen dough but they weren't quite as good. But never fear folks, I have perfected the cookie myself. Here she is in all her glory. One word... amazing. And a few others... chewy, crunchy, chocolaty, nutty, delicioso!

Monster Cookies

2 eggs

1 c. packed brown sugar

2/3 c white sugar

1 t vanilla

1 t corn syrup

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup butter

1 c peanut butter

3 c. rolled oats

2/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

2/3 cup m&ms (never mind the leftover Christmas ones I used)

1/2 c. peanuts (I used cocktail peanuts)

Directions:
Beat the eggs in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients in order, mixing well (don't think you forgot the flour- there isn't any). Use an ice cream scoop (yes a full sized scoop, you have to make them BIG) to put on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes (they may not look quite done but you must not overbake!). Makes 30 cookies (if you have used some restraint and havn't eaten half of the dough).

Friday, January 14, 2011

If you've seen Ellie lately, you've seen her in this. Under pants, over leggings, over tights, under dresses, with a sweatshirt. You name it. She digs to the bottom of the hamper to find it and her little heart is filled with glee when we let her wear it alone. We tried to give her some options by buying her 3 others for Christmas but none can touch the "pink ballet outfit with tutu 'tached and diamonds right here."

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

I wanted to make Leighton some toys for her birthday. I was tired of all the store bought things I kept seeing and wanted to try to give her something more original- plus I think we own every age-appropriate toy on the market. I was looking for some simple things that she could play with now and as she got older. I found these ideas on etsy, very easy to make and cheap too. Counting bean bags (which by the way don't take a 10 pound bag of beans to fill-looks like we'll be eating beans for a while now), and little wooden people. Each one has a color on the bottom that corresponds to a little "sleeping sack". I bought the little people (3.5") here if you would like start a family of our own.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Leighton got this adorable felt barn complete with livestock for her birthday. I think it may have been from the dollar bin at Target?!? Anyway, I was thinking they would make really cute gifts and be super easy to make myself. Then I stumbled upon this and fell in love.

But what I really want to make it this. Maybe if I start working on it now, it will be done for next Christmas.

Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3

A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...

1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)

2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.

3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.

4. Set the alarm for 3AM.

5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.

6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.

7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.

8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.

9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)

Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 4

Can you stand the mess children make? T o find out...

1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.

2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.

3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.

4. Then rub them on the clean walls.

5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.

6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 5

Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.

1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.

2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.

Time allowed for this - all morning.

Lesson 6

Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.

1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.

Leave it there.

2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.

3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.

4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 7

Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 8

1. Hollow out a melon.

2. Make a small hole in the side.

3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.

4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.

5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.

6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.

You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.

Lesson 9

Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.

Lesson 10

Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 11

Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

This is all very tongue in cheek; anyone who is parent will say 'it's all worth it!' Share it with your friends, both those who do and don't have kids. I guarantee they'll get a chuckle out of it. Remember, a sense of humor is one of the most important things you'll need when you become a parent!﻿

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

If you know my husband well, you may have heard the story of his first grade class. He was apparently way above the average first grade student at his school (big surprise right?) and would finish all his school work for the day before the teacher could even finish explaining the directions. This left him with a lot of time on his hands. And lucky for him, he had some pretty creative hands and access to miles and miles of computer paper. You know the kind that was in one long roll with perforated marks every so often. Anyway, he would start a drawing and continue it on and on and on and then roll up his work into an enormous scroll. As time went on the scroll got fatter and fatter so he would have to carry it with both arms. One day he ran into a serious snafu when the whole thing shot out from his hands like a Chinese yo-yo as he boarded the bus. So in honor of her dad, this Christmas Grandma Judy thought Brooklyn could carry on the scroll tradition and got her over 300 feet of coloring pages all rolled up just like Daddy would do it. She is planning on bringing it to show and tell tomorrow- let's just hope we don't have a repeat of the Chinese yo-yo incident.

I am blessed to be a proud momma bird and to spend lots of time in my nest with my 3 little nestlings. Each day I realize more and more what a challenge it is to raise these little ones, and how much I need God's love, patience, joy, and guidance moment by moment. I know that through Him, and His word, I can be the mommy He desires me to be.
This blog is a way for me to record those every day moments that slip away so easily, and to let others get a glimpse of life in my blessed nest.